How to make sake(sake’s factory process)

1. Polishing rice

Rice is the most important ingredients for sake. As it is, making sake starts from polishing rice. In most of case, sake’s rice grain is different spice from rice for eating.  Rice for sake contains less protein than rice for eating. Also,  its starch part is richer tha normal ones. Starch absorbs water much and it will grow Kouji ( Japanese malt. It is important ingredient for miso, soy source and sake). 

2. Washing rice and soaking rice

After polishing , rice still has piece of grain husk and it makes sake taste bad. So, sake maker get rid of these bran. Then, sake should be soaked in water, which called “Shinseki (浸漬)”.

3.  Steaming, Cooling and Fermantation

After soaking rice, rice is steamed in a big aluminium equipment( Japanese people use to use the can made of Japanese ceder).  Then,  sake maker shifts cooling process. Rice would be devided into 3 different types of  ingredients . First one is Syubo(酒母), which helps fermentation. Second one is Koji(麹), which changes starch info sugar.  The third one is Kakemai(掛け米) which will become sake. Basically, all of sake will be devided like 70% kakemai(掛け米), 20% koji(麹), 10% syubo(酒母).

4. Devision

After fermantation process, sake makers devide into sake and sake lees(sakekasu_酒粕). This process is called Jyousou(上槽)

Sake makers carefully decide when they move forward to this process. They always check weather, temperature and analysis value because this process has huge influence on sake’s quality.

5. Firtering and Heating

After divising, sake still contains small dregs. So, Filtering(濾過) is necessary proces.  After that, sake maker heat sake up to 65 degrees. This process help sake ‘s quality lasts long.

6. Storage and Brending 

After heating, sake storages for  half of year up to a year. In this process, sake still fermentes and taste becomes more gentle and mild.

Then, sake maker will mix each storage of sake. Sometimes, they add water as well.

7. Second heating and Bottling

This is the final process. Sake maker heats sake up and they pour sake into bottle.